Multiple socket flexible lamp fixture



March 24, 1953 V w. E. MONTAGUE 2,632,843

MULTIPLE SOCKET FLEXIBLE LAMP FIXTURE FiledvFeb. 24, 1960 2 SHEETS-SI-IEET 1' Inventor Attorney March 24, 1953 w. E. MONTAGUE 2,632,843

MULTIPLE SOCKET FLEXIBLE LAMP FIXTURE Filed Feb. 24, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 31 r I Inventor Attorney Patented Mar. 24, 1953 MULTIPLE Wi liam Mon la law dg alil- 1 This invention relatesto a novel construction of lamp fixture and more particularly to a novel adjustable lamp bulb supporting means for various types of. lamps, suchas floor lamps, table lamps and desk lamps:

Amongthe' primary objects of. the present inventiori is to providea unit whereby a conventional electric'lamp may "be readily converted froma rigid lamp bulb" supporting structure to afiexible onadjustable structure to enable the lamp bulbs""andf-'their"supporting sockets to be moved. to'different; positions to obtain maximum utilization of'the lightrays'from'each bulb and for 'directing'the light" rays to a position where the rays are primarily required, thus providin better illumination "without Ian-increase in the amount of candle power utilized.

Stilh-a" further object ofthe" invention is to provide a flexible lamp bulb supporting structure'whereby light bulbs of greaterlength or size'maybe 'emplo-yed'wit'lra lamp shade of a particular size'and which alsoenables the use of shallower lamp "shades as Well? as lamp shades ofsm-aller diameter with lamp bulbs'of *agiven size? ,l r. Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention "will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description" or "the dra ings, illustrating a presently preferredfembodiment'thereof; andwherein: Figure 1 is aside 'elvational view, partly in vertical section-of a floor lamp shown; equipped h ha nven ion; Figure 215 an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the upper portion of the floor lamp, with the "shade omitted; and illustrating the nventio m rein, detai 'Fig'ure3 is a side elevational view partlyin vertical section looking from right to left of Figure 2; l

Figured is a top plan view qi the parts as -S Application February 24, p, sen-slim. 146,111

2, Claims, (01. ago ni ene ally; it sai lama ein i t t e. only known as a p lam e I includes a base In which'may be of an d red construction and which supports an upstanding tubular, standard ll, the bore of which forms a conduit for electrical conductors, as isio'ni Ventional. l

The upper end portion of, the standard II is modified as best, illustrated. in. Figure 5 by be: ing provided with an annular flange l2, "con-f stituting a part of thefle xible lamphbulb mount: ing, 8 and which annular flange l2 extend-spout: Wardlyl from the standard H- and is provided with an an'nulal.v or endless upstanding flange portion 13. "The, "standard ll above the flange I2 is provided with diametricallyiopposed openings 14 and thereabove said standard has a closed end I5 provided with a restricted upstanding threaded shank l6- wh'ich, is adapted to'jbe threadedly en,- gag'ed in a downwardly opening threaded recess 11a of the usual lamp shade frame retaining knob I'LJA cap '18 is provided with a central opening l9- "in" "its top wall which loosely. en gagestl'i'e threaded shank I li andis' providediwith a depending nnular wall 20- the bottom edge of which'rests' upon 'the upper'edge of the flange per oh'l 3;"wliicl'lflan'ge supports the cap l8-on the standard ll. Thehsual lampshade suporting frame 2] is detachabIy"'-supp0rted Oh the" cap I'Bfat its; center andfdetachably secured thereto by the knob [1. The frame' 2 I supports a lamp; shadef22 of any conventional construe? tion which is *disposed around the upper portion of the standard H and accordingly around the flexible mounting'unit 8. The'parts Ill, [1, 2] and ZZand the" portion of the standard ll 10- dated below thefian ge l2f-constitute no partfof the present inventionand may obviously be var-1 led at will," as will hereinafter become ap earenn v T a up 4 a.

' The flexible mounting. unit, a includes. a pair 7 is secured'lby a 'press fit engagementon the outer.

end of its supporting tube '23 and which is provided adjacent its lower end with a bore 21 which is disposed at a right angle to the bore 26. A bolt, designated generally 28 is detachably and adjustably supported by each connecting member and includes a shank 29 havin an eye 30 at one end thereof and which is en larged relatively to the shank 29. The shank 29 is provided intermediate of-its ends with an enlargement 3| and is externally threaded as seen at 32 at its opposite end and is provided with a longitudinally extending slot 33 in its threaded portion 32, as best illustrated in Figure 7 however, a longitudinal groove may be substituted for the slot 33, as will hereinafter become apparent. The threaded shank end 32 extends loosely through the bore 26 and the enlargement 3| bears against the outer side of the connecting member 25. A washer 34 is slidably mounted on the threaded shank end 32 and bears against the inner side of the connecting member and is provided with a lug 35 which extends into the opening thereof and which engages the slot 33 for nonrotatably mounting the washer 34 on the shank end 32. A thumb nut 36 threadedly engages said shank end 32 for detachably connecting the bolt 28 to the connecting block 25.

A conventional lamp socket 31 is supported by each bolt 28 by a press fit engagement of the restricted nipple 38, at the base end thereof, in the eye 38 of said bolt. Each lamp socket 31' mounts a conventional lamp bulb 39. Each lamp socket 31 has two electrical conductors not shown, connected thereto in a conventional manner and which are contained within a fleidble cable or housing of an insulating material which extends from the base end 38 of the lamp socket through the tube 23, which supports said socket 31, through an opening 14 which is located adjacent the inner end of said tube 23 and thence longitudinally downwardly through the standard II. The two flexible cables may merge Within the standard II and are adapted to be provided at their opposite ends with a conventional plug, not shown, for connection to a source of electric current such as an outlet box, not shown. Likewise, the lamp 9 may be provided with a switch interposed ,at any point in the electric circuit thereof and which is likewise not shown.

The knurled thumb nuts 36 are tightened sufficiently so that the enlargements 3| and washers 34 will frictionally engage the connector blocks 25 with suflicient gripping engagement to retain the sockets 37 in any position to which they may be moved but suiiiciently loose so that the bolts 28 may be turned in the bores 21 to swing the lamp sockets 31 from their horizontal to their vertical positions, as illustrated in Figure l or to an angle therebetween and so that the lamp sockets and the bulbs supported thereby will remain in any position to which they are moved. The washers 34 are provided to turn with the bolts 23 so that the thumb nuts 36 will not become loosened by frictional contact with a part, relative to which the bolt is turned.

From the foregoing it will be readily apparent that the sockets 31 and bulbs 39 may be adjustably positioned relatively to one another and to the standard II for concentrating the light rays from both bulbs in any desired direction to obtain maximum utilization of the light provided. It will likewise be readily apparent that by adjustment of the sockets 31, larger or longer lamp bulbs may be used without such bulbs extending below the shade 22 and through the utilization of the flexible mounting 8, lamp shades of a smaller diameter and of a reduced depth may be utilized with lamp bulbs of any given size.

Obviously, the mounting 8 could be provided for a single socket and lamp bulb or for more than two sockets and lamp bulbs by varying the circumferential spacing of the tubes 23. As previously mentioned, the flexible mounting unit 8 may be employed with any type of electric lamp and various other modifications and changes are likewise contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A flexible light source mounting for electric lamps comprising, in combination with an electric lamp including a base, a standard, a lamp shade and a lamp shade supporting frame; a tubular supporting member, means to support said tubular supporting member at one of its ends on the standard at an angle to the axis of the standard, a connector member having one end connected to the opposite end of said tubular supporting member and having a depending portion defining its opposite end provided with a bore disposed at a right angle to the axis of the tubular supporting member, and a. bolt having a shank portion loosely engaging the bore of said connector member and rotatably connected thereto, said bolt having an eye at one end thereof offset laterally relatively to the supporting member in a direction away from the standard and adapted to receive therein a base end of a lamp socket for supporting the lamp socket on the bolt with the axis of the lamp socket at a right angle to the axis of the connector member bore and bolt for adjustably mounting a lamp bulb, connected to the lamp socket, relatively to said standard for swinging movement of the bulb and socket in a vertical plane parallel to and laterally spaced from the vertical plane of the supporting member.

2. A flexible light source mounting as in claim 1, and a second tubular supporting member, connector member and bolt supported by said lamp standard for adjustably mounting a second lamp socket and lamp bulb, said tubular supports being disposed substantially parallel to one another and being offset outwardly in opposite directions relatively to the axisof the lamp standard, and the lamp sockets being supported outwardly with respect to remote sides of the supporting members by the bolt eyes.

WILLIAM E. MONTAGUE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

